WHO Secretary-General: "Is COVID-19 Over? 40% of the World's Population Unvaccinated"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), warned that it is a mistaken perception to consider the COVID-19 pandemic over.

According to major foreign media on the 20th, Director-General Tedros emphasized this during his attendance at the first G20 Health Ministers' Meeting held in Yogyakarta, Central Java. Tedros stated, "Many countries have lifted related restrictions and it seems as if life has returned to pre-COVID-19 times," adding, "While there has been progress, the perception that COVID-19 is over is incorrect."

He pointed out that although recent COVID-19 case numbers have decreased by 90% compared to the peak in January, many countries including G20 members have reported a resurgence in transmission. The reduction in reported cases is linked to a decrease in COVID-19 testing and genomic sequencing compared to before.

Director-General Tedros highlighted, "With 40% of the global population remaining unvaccinated, there is a new and greater risk." He also emphasized during his opening speech at the 75th World Health Assembly (WHA) held in Geneva, Switzerland on the 22nd of last month, that the COVID-19 crisis is not yet over.

Meanwhile, the G20 Health Ministers' Meeting on this day discussed strengthening the global health system for pandemic prevention and response, agreements on COVID-19 vaccine certification between countries, standardization of international travel documents, and reinforcement of the pharmaceutical industry.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.